Australia has Highest Carbon Footprints in the World

This article discusses a first-hand encounter with the catastrophic effects that global warming has had on Australia, while providing a glimpse into the unfavorable future of this country along with the rest of the world. Published in 2011, one of the hottest years recorded in history, this article documents the devastating natural disasters such as wildfires, droughts, and even ice melting across the globe. On top of having naturally varying climate, the country of Australia has lead in having one of the highest carbon footprints in the world. Due to this among other factors, it is thought of in this writing as the “petri dish” of climate change.

Even though these natural disasters are killing thousands of people each year, while also destroying the planet, author Jeff Goodell urges that this is just the beginning. According to an MIT study cited in this article, without immediate and drastic efforts to cut carbon pollution, the Earth is expected to warm even as much as nine degrees within the next century. With temperatures raised that high, there is no telling how much more damage to both the planet. Dr. James Ross, a medical director in Australia, emphasizes that climate change will play a huge role in human health in coming years. Despite all these risk factors, there still seems to be little effort to make change. Although Australia pledged to cut carbon emissions 60 percent by 2050, there has been no actual initiative to follow through with these promises.

Australia has been experiencing repercussions of climate change for some time now, beginning with what is called the “big dry” of 1990 which included record low rainfall along with dust storms. Another aspect of climate change hitting Australia hard is the rising temperature and acidity in the ocean waters. The Great Barrier reef, the most prominent underwater ecosystem on the planet, is filled with infinite species of marine life. However, with acidic conditions rising, the beautiful coral present amongst the reef is beginning to become bleached. In the direction our planet is headed, by 2050 there is projected to be little to no living reef systems left in our oceans. After contemplating which region to write about, I decided on Australia since its culture and beauty has always been intriguing to me.

Once reading this article, one of the most astonishing parts was the information on coral bleaching and the possible death of the Great Barrier reef. Growing up by the ocean, it is easy to acknowledge first-hand how amazing marine life can be. To think that in the near future, there will be little to no living coral reef systems left is scary. This specific article was chosen due to the fact that it is is extremely detailed and informative. Although carrying some hopeless tones throughout it, the author conveyed his message strongly, using factual evidence and studies supportive his claims. Prior to looking through the Chapter 11 power-point and reading this article, I was unaware of just how bad climate change affects our entire planet. It is mind blowing that amongst all the fatal disasters caused from rising temperatures, there is still no overwhelming urge to make a change. It seems that even though articles like this are being published every year, there is no overwhelming urge to inform the general population just how badly these issues are becoming.

I can only think that if I was unaware of the growing severity of these global warming related catastrophes, imagine how many other people across the globe are left in the dark on this matter. Writing this paper helped to open my eyes to just how important this matter is, along with how it will affect not only my generation, but more so future generations to come. It’s so sad to see that the global mess that has been created by past generations has been left in the hands of us to fix now. This article has helped me realize that my future children and grandchildren might not get to experience some of the natural wonders of the world.

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